Fashion foundations

Royal Threads: Velvet’s Enduring Allure

“All any girl needs, at any time in history, is simple velvet and basic diamonds”.

Eva Gabor

For those seeking an alternative to sequins as a dressy option for festivities and celebrations, velvet is an elegant option. Just as the allure of sequins traces back to Royalty and great wealth, so too does the history of velvet. The origins of velvet are uncertain (Egypt? China? Iran? Syria?) but regardless of its birthplace, its sumptuous opulence seduced monarchs and the nobility wherever it appeared.

Velvet appears in Europe via the Silk Roads in the early 1300’s. Velvet is a fabric not a fiber but velvet was originally made with silk fibers. It did not take long for European weavers first in Italy, then France and Spain to advance techniques to create different types of velvet, such as cut, crushed and “cloth of gold” — silk spun with gold.

These skilled artisans created royal robes, gowns, upholstery and works of art to adorn palace walls. Velvet was a statement of wealth, power and authority.

The complicated process of producing the silk fiber, dying it using insects for the deep reds, plants for rich greens and minerals for sapphire blues, and the various weaving techniques on special looms, required guilds who jealously guarded their secrets. It would take the Industrial Revolution to mechanize much of the process, making velvet affordable to the growing affluent middle class, while retaining its reputation as a high status fabric.

The introduction of synthetic fibers after WWII (polyester and rayon in particular)created velvets accessible in price to the average person. Both sequins and velvet began as wealth symbols of the elite but were introduced into the mainstream culture by the fringes of society. In the case of sequins, it was the renegade “flappers” of the 1930’s.

And while the kings of Renaissance Europe may have had their luxurious robes, Elvis, the King of Rock ‘n Roll, had his image immortalized on black velvet panels in the 1960’s! The “Bohemians” of the 1970’s put velvet into the milieu of contemporary mainstream dress. It wasn’t long before designers rediscovered the versatility of velvet showing it on runways with pearls, precious stones, leather, lace, denim and velvets royal cousin, sequins!

Here are some ideas to use velvet in your Purely Personal Style:

TEXTURE: Velvet plays nicely with a variety of contrasting materials like smooth leather,

soft silk, satin, denim, lace and sequins. Contrasting textures add interest and depth and create an easy, elegant opportunity to transition from day to evening.

FIT: The plush texture of velvet can add bulk so flatter your figure with a fitted blazer either cropped or long enough to skim over hips, high waisted pants to elongate your silhouette or a dress with simple, clean lines.

COLOR: Traditional colors for velvet are black, white, rich reds, deep greens and celestial blues. However, contemporary colors offer the entire color wheel in fashionable hues like acid yellows, shocking pinks and bright oranges. Combining the lushness of velvet with an unexpected color can make a bold style statement all your own.

ACCESSORIES: Simple accessories allow velvet to take center stage. Metallic accessories add sleekness and give a nod to velvets royal heritage. Another approach is to flip the script and use velvet as the accessory to a silk, satin, denim or leather ensemble. A velvet handbag, or pumps or boots in velvet, as trim on lapels, hems or cuffs or even a belt or headband adds just a touch of glamour and polish.